Don't Wait for Black Friday—Some of Our Favorite Knives Are Already Marked Down

‘Tis the season for cooking. And whether you’re prepping the Thanksgiving main, setting up snacks for a holiday potluck, or simply getting a headstart on tonight’s dinner, chances are that you’re grabbing a knife. From do-it-all chef’s cutlery to scalpel-sharp paring blades, a knife is the essential kitchen tool for transforming raw ingredients into memorable meals.

With so much riding on your razor-sharp slicer, you want to pick a good one. But quality cutlery can cost you—some knife sets can run up thousands of dollars, and even single high-end chef’s knives retail for as much as $200. This is exactly why we like to find our favorite knives at a discount, and there’s truly no better time to do so than Black Friday.

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The kickoff of the American holiday shopping season (aka Black Friday) is filled with incredible savings, and for jaw-dropping deals on kitchen knives and cutlery sets, we’re checking out Amazon. The retailer already offers new deals every day on its Today’s Deals storefront, but based on previous years, we have a feeling some of the best markdowns of 2019 will launch on Black Friday. (Amazon’s 2019 Prime Day was pretty epic, after all.)

But if you’re too excited to wait, we have some good news: you don’t have to. We scoured Amazon’s impressive knife selection to find the best pre-Black Friday deals that are available now, and lucky for us, some of our favorite kitchenware brands are included in the deep discounts.

Scroll down to check out seven of the best knives and sets on sale on Amazon right now, plus why users love them. Whether you’re looking to replace your well-worn starter set before holiday entertaining season or gift a top-notch slicer to someone you love, these deals are sure to impress!

J.A. Henckels International 8-Inch Classic Chef’s Knife

Why users love it: “I'm not a professional chef, but I like to fancy myself a pretty good home chef, and I was looking for a knife that would hold up against the culinary challenges I might throw at it without breaking the bank. I honestly feel like this might be the best value knife for that purpose. It's extremely sharp, has a nice weight, and fits my hand like a glove. I've been loving every minute of working with it so far, and I'm looking forward to using it for many years to come.”

To buy: $44 (originally $109); amazon.com

Zwilling J.A. Henckels 4-Inch Paring Knife

Why users love it: “Perfect balance, excellent edge holding and handle shape makes for efficient, solid grip. Bought this one to replace one lost in travel. Unless you wear it out (last one was 10+ years and just showing some deformation from sharpening), will outlast you. Now have a complete set.”

To buy: $40 (originally $69); amazon.com

Miyabi Fusion Morimoto Edition 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Why users love it: “Brilliant knife. I work in a professional kitchen and this knife is a perfect mid weight tool for brunoise onions, carrots, peppers, and celery. I have larger hands and some knives do not fit in my hand comfortably. This knife is the perfect size. My wife has smaller hands, but also feels comfortable using the Miyabi. I have had mine for a couple of weeks now, but have used this knife for several months in a professional kitchen. Out of the box it was viciously sharp, and this has been very easy to maintain using a steel even after processing hundreds of pounds of vegetables and other foods. The balance fore and aft is absolutely perfect, which makes it feel like a natural extension of my hand.”

To buy: $100 (originally $170); amazon.com

Wusthof Classic IKON Hollow Edge Santoku

Why users love it: “Very sharp out of the box, and holds an edge nicely. It is extremely high quality, and is well balanced and lightweight. It cuts with extreme ease (mostly vegetables), slices very thin, and will last many years based on the high quality construction, full tang, etc. For those that aren't familiar with Santokus, be aware they are slightly more brittle than the average chefs knife, and are not intended for raw meat cutting, and you should avoid cutting around bone especially (they're designed more for chopping). They tend to hold their edge for a long time, so shouldn't need sharpened very often.”

To buy: $90 (originally $165); amazon.com

Wusthof Classic Two-Piece Carving Set

Why users love it: “Like using a scalpel. Carved a ham like butter. Same with a deep fried turkey. Watch your fingers though this item is sharp. Pricey but you get what you pay for and it will last you a lifetime with care.”

To buy: $100 (originally $160); amazon.com

Cuisinart Triple-Rivet Collection 15-Piece Cutlery Block Set, White

Why users love it: “I am extremely impressed with the quality of this knife set. It looks very sturdy but yet elegant, the knives are very sharp and feel heavy and comfortable. It looks like a million bucks for the price that it costs. Definitely recommend!”

To buy: $58 (originally $160); amazon.com

Calphalon Classic Self-sharpening 6-piece Knife Block Set

Why users love it: “As a college student, I got used to living the cheap life. $25 Costco knife sets can be just as good as the real deal, right? I lived in my world of alternative facts, head buried in the sand like an ostrich avoiding eye contact with its crush. I kept believing my knives were just fine and that it was all the potato's fault my knife wasn't cutting anything. Darn organic potatoes are harder to cut than those normal potatoes because of the cage free lifestyle, obviously. Well, my head finally came out of the sand when I gifted myself this Calphalon knife set. This must have been the knife set Mickey Mouse used to cut his bread so thin. The self-sharpening block keeps the knives sharper than my grandfather's wit. I am absolutely thrilled with how well this knife set works! Get your head out of the sand and start dominating your food as nature intended!”